Slave Pasts in the Present: Narrating Slavery through the Arts, Technology, and Tourism

Date

Time

Location

Friday

Apr. 27

5:30pm
-
7:30pm

KJCC Auditorium
53 Washington Sq S

Reception to Follow

Organized by Keila Grinberg, Spring 2018 Andrés Bello Chair in Latin American Cultures and Civilizations at New York University

Over the past few years, slavery has become a frequent theme in contemporary culture. Even though the topic has always been central in countries such as Brazil and the United States, it seems we have been watching more movies, soap operas and TV series on slavery than ever. Tourists are visiting historical sites and engaging in tours on the history and memory of the slave trade all over the Atlantic world. Crowds are packing museums on African-American culture. Slavery is represented in dance in popular festivals such as Rio’s carnival. Not surprisingly, slavery is a topic as sensitive as it is trendy. Video games and children’s books are provoking discussions among school age parents. Movies are becoming public controversies. And the discussions over memorials and statues that deal with the slave past set the stage for political protests all over the United States.

This symposium aims to discuss the ways in which slavery is narrated in the tourism and entertainment industries. Is it right to visit sites of tragedy and genocide as tourists? Are we witnessing a process of spectacularization of slavery in the arts? What are the boundaries between spreading the knowledge on a crime against humanity and stimulating its cultural consumerism? Is it possible to portray slavery in a videogame? How to balance sensitivity to the topic, historical accuracy and artistic creativity? How to interpret the different modes of reactions by the public? Are those initiatives helping us fight racism? Bringing together a group of intellectuals from different countries and backgrounds, we will address these questions and their broader significance in contemporary societies connected by the tragedy of its slave past.